Who are you selling to, and what do they want?

As a business coach, a mistake I see all too often is business owners who don’t have a clear idea of their ideal customer. Starting out, it’s so easy to get caught up in this awesome idea you’ve had. To lose yourself in the fantastic-ness of your incredible new product/ service!! You’re so excited to show ALL the people what you’ve created that you’ve forgotten to determine who your exact audience is.

Now, in your head your product/ service is going to benefit everyone but it’s time to be realistic. You can’t be everything to everyone. And even if you do have a commodity item, you would still direct your marketing efforts towards one particular customer (for example, who is the main person who would be making the purchasing decision). So, who is your actual customer? Well, it’s important to start with the specifics. Part of my online course Business Basics is about defining your ideal customer, and this is probably the most INVALUABLE exercise you can ever do for your business.

The best bit: once you’ve figured out exactly who your ideal customer is, you can give them what they want. To help you do this, follow these 5 simple steps:

Define them – get to know your customer in intimate detail, trust me it’s a game changer! Consider exactly who they are, think about what they do when they’re online, what it is they like and what they want to learn about.

Understand them – like reeeally understand them. You know their interests and what they’re doing online, so do it! Search what they search for and interact with them, both online and in the real world. Stepping into your customer’s shoes is the best way to get a deeper understanding of what their hot buttons are.

Get them – sign them up to your mailing list or social media, or entice them into your sales funnel. Now you know them so well, you’ll know exactly what will work. Whether you’re offering a discount, a free download or entry into a competition, you know what they’ll be itching to be a part of.

Deliver them value – and keep it coming! They’re now a valuable part of your community, so plan your content to cater to their interests and needs. You may have signed them up but the tricky bit is to keep them engaged. The best way to do that? Show them the value!

Ask them to purchase – it’s (sort of) that simple. Like with anything in life, if you want something, you have to be prepared to ask for it. Ensure your message includes a call to action reminding your customer how easy it is to make that purchase.

So there you go, it really is as easy as 5 little steps. I do realise that for some of you the thought of working through these without a plan may seem a bit much, but fear not! As I mentioned earlier, I cover this process in my Business Basics module, and check out the other awesome topics covered in this module too!